Onyx, Amber and Scarlet
by A Dark Alias
Summary: Unsure of her growing feelings for the prince of Spica, Hikari is too shy to ask her to the Winter Ball, but how will she react when her roommate asks her instead? One year before events in Anime. AU
1. Prologue

Onyx, Amber and Scarlet

A Strawberry Panic! Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Prologue

By: ExPerson

* * *

It was a typical December morning on Astraea Hill, with the below freezing temperatures, bitingly cold wind, and the small tufts of snowfall lazily gliding down from the gray quilt of clouds in the sky. The atmosphere was peaceful, quite fitting the atmosphere in the three distinct schools upon the hill, St. Miator Girls' Academy, St. Spica Girls' Institute and St. Lulim Girls' School. Classes were almost over for winter break, with little less than a week left, and all of the teachers, at the behest of the student council, agreed to have all end of term projects be due last week, to give the students time to prepare for any who would enjoy winter break outside of the serene hill, and also to allow everyone (namely the council and Etoile) time to prepare for the upcoming Winter Ball as well.

As the sun broke through the horizon, the first of the girls within the Strawberry Dorms began to stir and awaken, one of these being a certain Hikari Konohana, known for being very punctual and early to rise. Opening her eyes, the first thing entering her blurry vision is the flowing curtain of Onyx draped around the still-sleeping face of her roommate, currently hiding her friendly Amber eyes from the growing light in the room, Yaya Nanto, with her Scarlet, butterfly nightshirt disheveled and wrinkled from a few nights' worth of sleep.

Silently yawning, the blonde schoolgirl rose and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Getting out of her cozy bed, she snuck over to their small bathroom for an early morning shower before class, opting to awaken her roommate after, knowing she liked to sleep a little later than most. Entering the bathroom and shedding her white nightshirt, she turned on the shower, meanwhile reminiscing about her first days in St. Spica, less than a year ago.

* * *

_Transferring to a new school in the second year was terrifying, to say the least. She wouldn't know a single soul at her new boarding school, and everyone else will have already made friends. It would be trying to enter into a closed circle; everyone else would already have enough friends after first year, whereon one really knew anyone else anyway. So as a newcomer in the circle, she wouldn't make any friends at all._

_Upon arriving at Astraea Hill, Hikari had felt horribly out of place, and many people stared at her on her first day, whispering about her behind her back about things she couldn't hear. The trek to the main office had been akin to strolling through the nine levels of hell for poor Hikari, who walked with her head bowed low and with small, timid steps._

_When she received her dorm room number, the petite blonde was reasonably terrified, she had known that she would have a roommate beforehand, but she hadn't thought about what they might be like until now. She didn't know a thing about whoever it would be; she only knew that her name would be Yaya Nanto. Upon arriving at the specified dorm number, Hikari trembled, too afraid to knock and too ashamed to run away, so she stood there, lost in her frightening thoughts about what her roommate might be like, what if they weren't nice?_

_This terrified the blonde child more than anything else, for what would happen if her roommate didn't like her? What if her roommate was a jerk who would make fun of her and play mean-spirited pranks on her daily? What if her roommate turned out to be a part of a secret club in this school who kept tabs on all the new transfer students and their shortcomings and worked to make them leave the school for good? What if her roommate turned out to be involved in a delinquent gang and physically hurt other people for no discernable reason? _

_ Unconsciously, Hikari had a panic attack and began hyperventilating and sweating profusely. What if her roommate kept human skulls in a box under her bed and talked to them regularly? What if her roommate was a psycho who would throw all of her stuff out of the window, screaming incoherent ramblings before chucking her, paralyzed with fear, out too? What if her roommate turned out to be a serial murderer who would hurt her in her sleep?!_

_At this point, her ragged breaths could be heard from about five meters away, and having stood there for nearly five minutes, her legs were beginning to get tired. Thankfully, however, there did not seem to be anyone else in the nearby vicinity._

_ Hikari was too busy contemplating whether to pretend to casually walk away as to not draw more suspicion, or to bolt for the exit, screaming at the top of her lungs, to notice the door handle of the door she was in front of clicking and turning. As her head was now bowed, she didn't notice how the door very slowly creaked open, and a tall, black-haired girl in a white uniform peeked her head out._

_There had been the sound of someone almost sobbing from out in the hallway, and it was bothering the brunette. Noting the trembling, (or rather, shaking vigorously) blonde-haired girl in the sailor fuku standing in front of her dorm room, looking at the floor, almost in tears, the girl known as Yaya Nanto put two and two together. Unfortunately, the girl's head was bowed, so Yaya could not get a glimpse of her face. However, having been told earlier in the week that she was getting a new transfer student as a roommate, she remembered the name she was told after a few seconds and called out, rather bluntly, "… Excuse me, but do you happen to be Konohana Hikari?"_

_ At the mention of her name, and without any honorifics, she later noted, the shy, trembling blonde jumped back two feet, into the wall behind her. Gasping, she stared in a frenzy at the girl before her and took in her appearance. Said girl was wearing one of the three uniforms Hikari had seen on her way here, the pure white one with the bowtie and jacket. Too flustered to respond literately (also rooted to the ground in fear,) Hikari, after several false starts, asked, in an almost nonexistent whisper, "Yes… Are you… Nanto Yaya-san?" The other girl widened her eyes, as if to look over the metaphorically shrinking transfer student once more, opening her mouth slightly in shock at finally seeing the delicate angel's features._

_After a few moments of silence, lasting an eternity for poor Hikari, the taller second year replied with a genuine, yet mischievous smile, "Yes, yes I am, and I guess that makes me your new roommate, huh?" Staring for a second longer, she moved out of the way into the hallway to hold her hand out over-exaggeratedly for her brand new roommate to take, with the other hand held in a grand fashion toward the door to their room. "Where are my manners, allow me to escort you to our new room, Konohana-sama."_

_ Merely surprise wouldn't be a proper word for what Hikari was feeling right now. Aside from the light-hearted teasing, her new roommate seemed very nice at least, and very pretty too, however, the small blonde child thought that the blue and white of the spring uniform wasn't a good match for her looks, but she couldn't quite place what would be. Not to say that the girl looked _bad_, of course not, but white just didn't seem to suit her, Hikari couldn't quite place why... _

_Besides that, a mix of relief, surprise, and apprehension overtook the blue eyed schoolgirl, after all, what if she still had the skulls under her bed? Hikari made a mental note to ask later, and took the friendly girl's hand into their new shared room, with mixed feelings for the future. One thing was for sure though, her roommate did not attack her on sight, and that was a relief incomparable to everything else she was feeling._

* * *

When she had her first real conversation with black haired Spican, Hikari's first impression was that the other girl was quite… eccentric. She was loud and outspoken, yet very kind and caring as well, constantly making sure that her roommate was okay and comfortable in her new surroundings. But Hikari would never say her dark-haired roommate was annoying or irksome, far from it. In fact, Yaya was one of the nicest people she's ever met.

Of course, once she got to know Yaya better over time, the blonde realized that she was very outspoken and was not afraid to let her opinion be known, a stark contrast to how little Hikari acted. It was an endearing sort of outspokenness. But Yaya always did tend to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, but it never got anyone into trouble… Not any serious trouble, anyway, and she'd gotten her fair share of scoldings from the Sister too.

However, Yaya was a great friend and the two spent a lot of time together, in fact, they joined the Saintly Chorus together a few months back, and it has been a lot of fun. Hikari had always loved to sing, and doing it with her new best friend made it all the more enjoyable. Ultimately, she was glad that she had met Yaya Nanto, and she was very happy that they were roommates and even more happy that they were best friends.

* * *

Snapping back to reality, Hikari realized that she was still in the shower. Wanting to conserve the hot water for her friendly roommate, the carefree blonde turned off the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the shower, all in one graceful move. Wiping off the fog from the mirror, she smiled; finally ready to get started with the last week of classes before break.

Drying herself off, the shy schoolgirl continued her previous train of thought. Indeed, now that she has known the other girl for more than six months, she can say that Yaya would never hurt anyone else without proper reason. In fact, she's learned quite a bit about her best friend, something not betrayed by the relatively short time in which they've shared a room. She knows what the brunette likes to do, and what she doesn't like to do. For instance, the taller girl loves to sleep in and hates schoolwork with a passion. She is sometimes lazy, however...

Chuckling quietly to herself, the soaked Spican remembered that one time in home economics class, when Yaya had accidentally spilled the balsamic vinegar everywhere. Needless to say, it was really stinky.

* * *

Tip-toeing out of the bathroom as to not wake her slumbering roommate, the tiny chorus member reached for her dresser to secure an ironed Spica uniform. All this reminiscing was taking too much time, and she still had to get dressed and do her hair. 'It's too cold for a skirt this time of year,' the petite girl remarked to herself (still trying to get her mind off of the past) as she buttoned up her pristine white uniform skirt, 'Only for a few more days, at least.'

She frowned upon this realization however, as the semester was almost over, and her parents would be unable to take her home for the vacation, she would have to stay at Astraea for winter break. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not for her family, usually her parents could take her home for vacation every year, but at least she can stay with her friends here, right? "But if Yaya-chan doesn't stay here for break, I'll be all alone…" Hikari mumbled, suddenly depressed, grasping her brush to fix her light-blonde hair, completely oblivious to the creeping shadow behind her.

"What was that? What is little Hikari-chan worrying about now?" whispered a sultry sing-song voice dangerously close to Hikari's ear. Startled by both her roommate's awakened status and the invasion of her personal space, the smaller child yelped cutely and dropped her hairbrush, tripping and falling clumsily to the ground in the process.

"Aw, did I scare poor Hikari-chan? You're so easy to scare, it's so cute, but it fits you," the grinning attacker continued, holding her hand out for her roommate sprawled on the floor to grab. Noticing the blush on her smaller friend's features, the triumphant girl grinned and cheekily remarked, "My, my, flustered so easily, does Hikari-chan like to be scared?"

That was another quirk of Yaya's; she was an immense flirt and a huge tease. Even after more than six months of rooming together, Hikari just couldn't get used to the teasing. The tall brunette teased everyone when she had a chance to, but she teased her defenseless roommate more than anyone else, and Hikari couldn't understand why. 'Maybe she really doesn't like me at all…' Dismissing that thought as impossible, considering how happy Yaya usually is, she chalked it up to being the lucky one to spend the most time with the tall chorus member.

Grabbing her roommate's hand to help herself get up, she defended herself after stuttering for a second, "O-Of course not! Yaya-chan is just so good at it!" Righting herself, while fighting the embarrassment of being put on the spot and failing to remove the blush, she continued, "… I just didn't see Yaya-chan sneak up on me like that…"

Catching the worried undertone of the still-blushing girl, Yaya could easily tell that something else was bothering her childlike roommate. Staring at her a second longer, she inquired in a level tone, picking up the fallen hairbrush and dusting it off, "I'm sorry, Hikari, but it's just fun to see your reactions," sneaking a glance at the other girl, she continued, "And besides that, something else is bothering you, I can tell, is it anything I can help with?" Ending the question, the nightshirt-clad girl looked searchingly in those large pools of sapphire for an answer, hopefully a yes, perhaps too eager to help her best friend.

Oblivious to the odd curiosity and worry, Hikari took the chance to look over her roommate once more. The tawny-eyed girl was still clad in her crimson nightshirt, it seems that the first thing she did upon awakening was to scare and tease her roommate, in typical Yaya fashion.

Aside from that, Hikari once again realized just how pretty the other girl really was, she was tall, but not overly so, and her long ebony hair cascaded down to the small of her back, a contrast to her own bright blonde locks that grew slightly past her frail shoulders. In this beautiful young woman's presence, the small Spican couldn't help but feel inadequate and self-conscious in front of her overwhelmingly pretty roommate. She even had a bigger bust size than little Hikari, much to the timid girl's jealousy. Indeed, Yaya Nanto was the epitome of womanly beauty, Hikari summarized.

"Hikari?"

Bringing her nervous blue gaze back up to her roommate's own worrying amber one, Hikari hesitated. She didn't want Yaya to worry, and more than that, she didn't want to make her feel guilty for leaving Hikari alone if the other girl was indeed leaving Astraea for break.

Gazing at the floorboards, Hikari decided to just ask and assure her that she would be alright on her own, "I-It's just that… I have to stay here in Astraea over winter break… and I was just wondering if Yaya-chan was going to leave for break…" Looking up to see Yaya's surprised face, she continued, "But it's okay if Yaya-chan is leaving, I'll be fine on my own!" concluding with the most confident smile she could muster, but ultimately failing as her smile was affected by the fact that she might be living here alone for a few weeks, and how lonely it would be without Yaya to keep her company.

"Hikari was worried… if I wouldn't be here over break to… keep her company?" came the uncharacteristically shaky reply of the taller Spican.

Hikari looked up to see a blush growing on her friend's soft features. Noting the irregularity of a blush on Yaya's face, she worriedly asked, "Is everything okay, Yaya-chan? I didn't want to worry you or make you feel guilty about leaving for break, so I didn't want to say it," once again noting that the bright glow upon her friend's face was growing even more, she added, "Are you hot? You're blushing… Does Yaya-chan have a cold?"

Pulling away before Hikari could reach her forehead, the brunette quickly recovered, "Ah! No, I'm fine, I'm not sick or anything," pushing the spotlight on Hikari, to steady her own recovery, she teased, "Was Hikari-chan that worried about being alone? Well don't worry! My parents wouldn't let me go home if I begged! So of course I'll stay here with you, Hikari-chan!"

As if to prove her point, she flashed the other girl her biggest grin, grabbing the light-haired child in a big bear hug. Yaya laughed heartily, once again covering up her true feelings with a best-friend façade. 'Oh well,' the larger girl inwardly sighed, 'At least she cares about me enough to want me to stay with her for vacation…'

* * *

Smiling despite herself, the nightshirt clad girl released her roommate, removing any chance of rebuttal by offering to brush her roommate's hair for her.

"But we'll be late for class if we do that, and you still have to take a shower, Yaya-chan…" protested the blonde girl, worried not for her own grades, but for her friend's, knowing that she struggled in a couple of subjects, and wanting to help out her best friend.

"Don't worry, Hikari, we have time before class, now sit down before I force you down… Or would Hikari-chan want me to force her down?" Teased the friendly brunette, still covering her own nervousness with more teasing and attempting to find solace in what little bodily contact there would be in brushing her unrequited love's hair.

The little girl caved in and allowed her friend to brush her hair, knowing how much of a fuss it could be at times. Relaxing into her best friend and roommate's comforting grasp, Hikari sighed contentedly with the knowledge that Yaya would be staying with her over break. Behind her, the dark-haired Spican inwardly sighed once again, content for the moment, yet desperate for more.

"Thank you… Yaya-chan… For being such a good friend to me."

Flustered once again, Yaya replied in a forced tone, "Oh… Well, that's what best friends are for… Right?"

'But is that all you see me as?' Yaya finished the thought in her head, afraid that the consequences of saying that aloud would ruin the precious friendship that she treasured so much.

Losing track of the time, she brushed her best friend's hair slowly until it was perfect, and then some more just to spend as much time with her as possible.

They were late to class that day, but they were both more or less in good spirits.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I thought that I would struggle with the story at first conception, but the ideas surprisingly came out smoothly, with only a few problems that I have since dealt with, for the most part. Since this would be my first ever fanfic, I've spent quite a bit of time writing out ideas, a storyline and a time line of events for the story. In reality, the thing I am most afraid of in writing this is being unable to finish it. Which is why I've written a sort of "chapter flow" for myself to stay faithful to my original ideas and to provide motivation in terms of planning ahead (something I rarely do.) Of course, it is subject to change as I see fit, and any good ideas received will be taken into consideration.

Aside from that, not much action in this chapter, eh? Oh well, it's not always good to rush into things anyway.

In any case, thanks for reading, and feedback (especially concerning characterization, something I am desperately afraid of messing up) would be appreciated.


	2. The Question

Onyx, Amber and Scarlet

By: ExPerson

Chapter 2: The Question

* * *

The next day was much like any other, the snow had stopped falling, leaving the immaculate quilt of white all over the cold ground in its wake. The sky continued to be a dreary gray canopy of clouds preventing the warm sunlight from reaching any of the students upon Astraea Hill. Not to say that it was a bad day, however, as the wind had died down, making a stroll outside not so troublesome, and it perfectly matched the nature of the serene hill. It was truly a picturesque view.

It was finally the last day of classes before break, and the relaxed atmosphere upon the hill transferred its peaceful energies to the students of the three girls' schools. Even the strictest of the Miator teachers had taken it down a notch for today, to allow their girls some much needed breathing room, many of which were getting anxious for the up and coming Winter Ball.

The Winter Ball was one of the most important events among the three schools. While not nearly as important or as debated as the Etoile election, it was still a big deal for many of the underclassmen, who were not as involved in the going-ons of the Etoile election (or senior prom, for that matter.) Most saw this as "their dance," as most of the upperclassmen granted the setup and direction of the dance to the younger years, only helping as requested. The dance was considered the most important event for this part of the year, taking place in early January, with prom for only the upperclassmen and their dates taking place at the very end of the year.

Leaving the last class of the year before winter break, Hikari Konohana found herself at a crossroads.

She hadn't asked anyone to the dance yet, nor had she been asked by anyone to go.

As a second-year transfer student to St. Spica, she had an unwritten obligation to go, if only to show her appreciation at being accepted, plus, it was a major event in her brand new school. But being shy, little Hikari, she couldn't bring herself to ask out her crush, the prince of Spica, Amane Ohtori.

Reveling in thoughts about her crush, Hikari reflected about the prince of Spica and how she had been entranced at first sight.

* * *

_It was not long after she transferred to St. Spica that she first laid eyes upon the horseback rider. She was walking alone to back to the dorms after another day of tough classes, eager to take a shower to rid herself of the tiresome stress of a class without her best friend and roommate to keep her company. She figured that she would never get used to the hectic schedule demanded of St. Spica, it was too tough for her to digest._

_ Upon reaching the gates to the Strawberry Dorms, Hikari noticed an immense crowd of girls from all three schools gathered around the main path into the dorms. The small girl was understandably confused by the appearance of such a large crowd, not having seen one of this size outside of a moderated event. Still, Hikari never did enjoy large crowds, so she decided to somehow find a way past the mob of gossiping schoolgirls into the dorms to meet up with Yaya, who she had not seen since their last class together. Nervously walking off to the back of the crowd, the blonde attempted to inconspicuously sneak through._

_ While passing around the crowd of fangirls, she heard some speaking of things like a prince, horses and one "Amane-sama" that everyone seemed to be waiting for. Curiosity taking the best of her, Hikari decided to stay and see what all the fuss was about, silently wondering about a prince in a girls' school. What did that mean? Was this "Amane-sama" a prince from a noble family or something?_

_Unsure if she was making a smart decision, the petite transfer student found a small niche in the crowd a short distance away from a strange, blue haired short girl and a scary, purple haired one in pigtails that were arguing. Considering how loud they were bickering, louder than the combined buzz of the rest of the fangirls, it seemed, it was hard not to eavesdrop. From their argument, Hikari understood that the scary one had made a small comment on wanting to leave to get something to eat when the blue haired one mentioned something about weight. Apparently, that girl is very weight-conscious. (The blonde Spican made a mental note to never say the word "weight" the pigtailed girl, should she ever encounter her again.)  
_

_ Leaving that spot to find a relatively quieter one, she settled for a spot near the entrance of the dorms, deciding to make a quick exit after her curiosity was satisfied.  
_

_After waiting for a few, impatient minutes, the small chorus member began to get nervous upon hearing the buzz of the crowd grow louder and louder until they were practically yelling. With all the people around her yelling out for nothing that she could yet see, the blue-eyed girl looked around frantically, eager, yet nervous, to see what everyone was so excited about. After a few moments of searching, she saw what all the fuss was about._

_ There, walking ahead of what seemed to be the student council of Spica, a tall, blue-haired girl with almost masculine features and a soft face with a noticeably uncomfortable look in her eyes, was Amane Ohtori. Wearing not the placid white of the Spica uniform, but a darker brown horse riding outfit, boots and all, she walked on towards the entrance to the Strawberry Dorms, clearly in a hurry to get away. She had an almost regal look to her, and the dazzled underclassman couldn't find the willpower to look away. The tall girl seemingly glowed among the crowd of raving schoolgirls and stood out among the crazed girls easily. There was no doubt now, Hikari truly believed what she had heard, there was, in fact, a prince at St. Spica, and her name was Amane Ohtori._

_A few feet back from the popular horse rider__, the student council president was talking to one of her assistants, a pretty blonde-haired young woman, about something that Hikari couldn't make out over the roars of the fangirl mob. The president looked noticeably troubled, and as they passed by, the enthralled blonde could finally make out a few lines; they said something about "the Etoile election," and "she doesn't have a partner."_

_ As the small executive group passed by the crowd and entered the strawberry-shaped building, the crowd began to disperse in small groups, leaving a small, wide-eyed blonde child standing in a daze._

_Hikari was amazed, the prince of Spica was truly worth all of the crowds and attention, the obvious masculine traits served to increase her charm, and though the petite underclassman did not know the idol's personality, she had a gut instinct that it fit her well. _

_ In a daze, the small girl left for her dorm, entranced by the beauty that is Amane Ohtori, silently vowing to herself to learn as much as she could about her newfound crush. With any luck, she might find a way to get the prince to notice her among the throngs of her admirers.  
_

_

* * *

_

Shaking her head to bring herself back to the present, Hikari walked back to her dorm to relax a bit, hoping to see her roommate again as well.

While walking to her dorm, the petite chorus member began thinking of a way to ask Amane to go to the dance with her.

Maybe she could fake getting hurt in front of Amane so that she would carry her to the nurse, where they could talk in private? That would be romantic… Only, Hikari never was the greatest liar, something that Yaya took advantage of time after time, constantly stealing secrets from the transfer student.

Maybe she could get her roommate to ask Amane, for her sake, to the dance? No, that wouldn't work, she might get the wrong idea and take Yaya instead. That wouldn't be a very good result.

How about sending her an anonymous love note? No, that wouldn't work, then Amane wouldn't know who it would be from, and Hikari was much too shy to sign it, or to even bring up the nerve to send it to her. Besides that, the prince of Spica probably got hundreds of those each week, there was no chance that she would read hers.

Maybe she could just go up to her and tell her to her face? … Out of the question! Shaking her head vigorously, she pondered the implications and what would happen if she did. Nothing, most likely, she wouldn't be able to spit out two words to her crush without stuttering and running away.

The shy Spican sighed aloud, "I'll never be able to ask her…"

Even assuming that she had mustered the nerve to ask the Spican star to the dance, there was no guarantee that she would even agree to go. That fact saddened the short chorus member more than anything, what if she just wasn't good enough to get her idol's attention?

Shaking her head again, she resolved to think positively and purge these depressing thoughts from her head.

Walking onward, she continued to think of scenarios in which she could ask the other girl to go with her.

* * *

Arriving at her dormitory, the mentally exhausted blonde sat down on her bed to rest. She had been thinking of different ways and scenarios to ask Amane to go with her on the way here, but with absolutely no luck. She hadn't even thought about the fangirl horde that followed the idol wherever she went, there was definitely no way of getting past _that_.

Sighing loudly, the tiny girl resigned herself to her fate; she just wouldn't go to the dance at all.

Besides, she didn't even have a dress to wear, and she couldn't dance. Not only that, but she was too shy to ask anyone else, and there wasn't anyone that would ask her out anyway, she was too timid and soft-spoken for anyone to like.

Her roommate took this moment to enter the room with a flourish, "Hiiiikari-chaaaan!" With a grand swish of her legs, Yaya Nanto waltzed into their shared dormitory room with her arms held high above her head in a mock-ballerina move, swiftly closing the door behind her with an outstretched hand.

Somewhat surprised by her roommate's elated mood, Hikari greeted her dark-haired roommate and went to fetch some more comfortable clothes, after all, it was break and she didn't need to wear the Spica uniform for a few more weeks. "Did something happen to make you so happy, Yaya-chan?" Gasping, she stopped and realized, "Did you get asked to go to the Winter Ball?!" Her eyes shadowed over as she tipped her head down, it seems even her roommate got asked to the dance...

'But that's not surprising, Yaya-chan is so energetic and funny, and much more pretty than I am...' thought the now-disheartened blonde girl.

Noticing her friend's downcast look, the brunette replied quickly, "Of course not! But I did decide on who I'm going to ask to the Winter Ball! Can you guess who it is, Hi-ka-ri-chan?" Slowly pronouncing each syllable of her friend's name, she ended the sentence with the same boundless enthusiasm that she entered the room with.

Eyes going wide with surprise, Hikari asked, "… W-Who is it, Yaya-chan?" She didn't know that her roommate liked someone, maybe if Hikari could find out who it was, Yaya would stop teasing her about Amane!

Puffing out her chest proudly, her roommate questioned, "Why Hikari-chan, who do you think I would ask to the most important dance this time of the year?" As if to press her point further, she grabbed onto her roommate's slender shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

Now more curious than ever, the blonde wracked her mind, thinking of who her friendly roommate might have a crush on. 'Maybe it's Tohsaka-san? No, Yaya-chan doesn't really talk to her much. How about Einzbern-san? No, Yaya-chan said that she was annoying once. Maybe Minamoto-senpai? Shizuma-sama?' Gasping inwardly she realized, 'what if Yaya-chan likes Amane-sama too!' Looking anxiously at her friend's smiling face, she braced herself for more bad news.

"C'mon, it should be obvious! The only person in the world I would ever ask to the dance would be you, my best friend and roommate, Konohana Hikari!" The energetic, dark-haired Spican let go of her roommate's frail shoulders to hold her arms out wide in an open hug gesture.

The room was deathly silent for a moment, and the shocked blonde's eyes grew even wider at the mention of her own name coming from Yaya's mouth. She just got asked to the dance, which she was extremely excited about! Only, she had imagined herself going with Amane, not her outspoken roommate...

Noting the surprise and anxiety written all over her friend's face and mistaking it as something else, she quickly added, "Uh… strictly as friends of course!" Cursing inwardly at her own inability to hold her ground in front of her secret crush, the brunette still held her arms out in a big hug, however slightly less confident now.

Desperate to break the crushing silence, she finally asked, "So what do you say, Hikari, will you go to the Winter Ball with me?"

The blonde child's mind was going over the words her best friend just said, she was shocked! Should she say yes? She definitely wouldn't mind going with Yaya, it would be a lot of fun, and she loved to spend time with her best friend!

But what about Amane? If she agreed to go with Yaya, she would lose the chance to go with Amane, her _secret __crush_. She had wanted all along to go with the prince of Spica, however unlikely it would seem. She had just vowed to think positively of the situation and think harder about finding a way to ask Amane.

Indecision gnawing at her, the nervous blonde child looked up at Yaya, unsure of what to do.

Taking the silence as a hint, the disappointed brunette brought her arms down to her sides, "... I see. But it's alright, you've probably already asked Ohtori, right, Hikari?" Disappointment not evident on her face, but clawing at her on the inside, Yaya once again assumed the role of the supportive best friend, silently cursing Ohtori for taking away her angel to add to the ever growing legion of fangirls.

Hikari's crush on Ohtori was something that she figured out rather easily, considering how Yaya had found her numerous times watching the prince of Spica on the equestrian range, hiding behind a large tree. Unsure of her role in it, the tall chorus member opted to stay out of her friend's business for a while, if only to see how deep her affections for the Spican horseback rider ran. Of course, that didn't stop her from teasing her roommate about it.

Despair overwhelming her, she turned away, preparing to go to the bathroom to be alone for a while, she wouldn't be able to look at her friend's face without crying out in rejection. "I'm going to take a shower then... Maybe we can do something later... is that alright?" muttered the sad brunette without turning around, another chance of showing her unrequited love what she really felt lost to that cursed Ohtori.

As she was about to turn the knob to the small bathroom door, a small tug on her arm stopped her. Turning her head, she looked down to see her roommate grabbing her arm with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"I'd love to go with you to the dance, Yaya-chan."

Digesting what her friend just said, Yaya's face betrayed the confusion that she felt. After a few seconds, as if understanding what she finally said, the brunette widened her eyes in surprise for a long moment before breaking out into a huge grin and pulling her best friend into a big hug before yelling out in glee and twirling her around.

Hikari had just agreed to go to the dance with her! This is just what she wanted! She finally had a shot! There was absolutely no way that Yaya would screw this up, she would make this the best damn dance that the blonde has ever had, then maybe she'd have a chance at winning the petite girl's affections too!

Spinning round and round, Hikari couldn't help but break out into laughter at her friend's antics. Yeah, she would have a wonderful time, she was sure of it now.

Besides, Hikari didn't have the guts to ask Amane to go with her to the dance anyway. That's not even considering the fact that she probably had asked someone else to the dance already.

Setting her small roommate back down, the tall Spican laughed from the bottom of her heart before grinning wildly.

"Right, well, we got a lot of work to do if we're gonna go to the Winter Ball! I don't have anything to wear! I'm pretty sure that you don't have anything either, so how about we go into the city tomorrow and go shopping for dresses and things like that! It'll be a girls' day out, how about it, Hikari-chan?" asked Yaya, already brimming with excitement, there was no way she'd be able to sleep tonight, there was so much to plan for! She _had _to make this the single best dance that Hikari had ever been to, and the first step was getting something good to wear, so she had to make that perfect too!

Excited already, the small blonde Spican nodded and set about getting ready to change out of her uniform into something more comfortable, she would have to get ready for going into the city tomorrow too. After all, this seemed to be really important to Yaya, considering how happy she was after the smaller girl had agreed to go.

* * *

Stepping into the bathroom with a forced calm speed, Yaya looked herself in the mirror as a smile of genuine happiness tugged at the corners of her face. Turning around swiftly, so that her waist-length black hair twirled around her, she looked up towards the ceiling and yelled out loudly in glee once more.

This would be her big break, the chance she's yearned for since meeting the timid blonde girl who had stolen her heart the moment they met!

Outside of the bathroom, Hikari said to no one in particular, "Wow, Yaya-chan must really be excited about going to the dance." Putting on a light blue wool sweater, she allowed her mind to roam, "I wonder if Yaya-chan knows how to dance, or if she could teach me..."

Resolving to ask her later, Hikari decided to pick out her outfit for the city tomorrow, after all, it has been a while since she last went there, but for the most part, she was just oddly excited about going with her roommate, unable to really place why.

* * *

**A/N:** And so the plot starts to get moving, and things get a little interesting.

So Yaya finally gets her chance with Hikari, and we learn of Hikari's now-brand new crush on Amane.

On a more serious note, I've been having a bit of confusion in learning the Japanese school year, and as such, the timeline in the story might be messed up. If there is anyone that could clearly explain to me when students in Japan start school, when spring/winter/summer breaks are, when school ends, stuff like that, I'd really appreciate it. Since I don't know a whole lot about the school calendar for any country other than the US (considering that I live there) I can't seem to work out some problems with the story's timeline that I've encountered without that knowledge.  
Thanks in advance.

Yeah, aside from that, there isn't much else to say.  
Thanks for reading, and feedback is appreciated.


	3. The Date

Onyx, Amber and Scarlet

Chapter 3, The Date

By: ExPerson

* * *

The shock had yet to wear off, and Yaya Nanto was still at a loss for what to think. She had to pinch herself a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It was near midnight, and what occupied her mind so very much at this moment now laid down on the other side of the room, sleeping silently.

Hikari Konohana, Yaya's best friend, roommate and secret crush had agreed to go to the dance with her. Needless to say, she was ecstatic, and couldn't wait for the dance, but she had to make it _perfect_, if only to impress her timid roommate. She figured that if all went well, the other girl would look at her in the same way that she looked at Ohtori, and she would have a chance to win the blonde's affection too.

Yaya took this train of thought with her all day, and now she couldn't even sleep. She had most of the next day vaguely planned out. The basic overview consisted of going to a few designer shops before heading to a cozy café to relax a bit until they went to a few more shops and heading back to the dorms. The finer details were not set in stone, and some relied on chance, but if it went well, it would be a perfect day. Other than that, the plan was basic, so it would be easy to improvise on the spot; considering that nothing ever goes according to plan, and that the taller girl may decide to treat Hikari to some other places on the spot as well.

Indeed, she had the whole day roughly sketched out in her head, and the fact that she was so prepared was exciting, she was absolutely sure that it would be a perfect day.

With this in mind, the brunette's pent-up exhaustion slowly overtook her and she drifted to sleep.

* * *

Leaving the sanctuary known as Astraea Hill, Hikari couldn't help but grin as her friend rambled on about this store and that café, and how they _had_ to go there. Indeed, it was clear that Yaya was very excited about all this, and judging from the way she acutely recalled the names of many stores and malls, she was prepared to have a great time.

The two wore casual winter dress, complete with scarves and jackets. Walking down the steep hill, Hikari listened contentedly to the quiet serenity of the hill and the progressively louder sounds of the city down below. She enjoyed spending time with her roommate, and they always had fun whenever they went off into town for a day. Together, they made it to the end of the hill and started towards the train station, a short walk away.

All through the train ride, they talked about meaningless things and generally had a good time, enjoying the other's company. The couple reached their first destination not long after arriving at their stop, a fancy French designer store.

Entering the large showroom, Hikari was astounded at the sheer number of dresses, skirts, shoes and shirts about, most of which she probably couldn't even afford with her moderate allowance. Wide-eyed, she turned to her roommate to ask, "Yaya-chan, this place is amazing, but everything looks so expensive! How will we afford anything?"

Undaunted, the tall Spican replied, "Money's not a problem! I'll pay for my Hikari-chan! Anyway, we're wasting time, we've got this whole store to look through and we're just standing here!" She animatedly took her friend's hand and dragged her into one of the many aisles filled with all manner of women's clothing.

Entering one of the rows, the duo silently combed through the selections for less than thirty seconds before the brunette excitedly drew a short, thigh-length, yellow-gold dress that could only be described as an oversized ribbon. "Hikari, look at this one, it's just your size! Go try it on!" commanded the tall Spican, shoving it into her roommate's arms and gently pushing her towards the nearby dressing rooms.

Surprised at the sudden outburst, the small blonde yelped as her best friend shut the door to the small dressing room stall. Taking a look at the petite dress in her arms, the girl could only gawk at what her friend chose. There was no way she could wear this! It only went halfway down her thighs; the Sister would never let anyone wear something like this to a formal event such as the Winter Ball. Plus, it wasn't really her style; Hikari was generally more conservative than Yaya in terms of clothing style.

Nervously, the smaller Spican called out from inside the stall, "Yaya-chan, do I really have to wear this? It's too short for a Ball dress…"

Taking advantage of the question, the brunette coyly replied, "Hikari, you don't like what I chose for you to wear?" Smirking despite herself, she continued in a mock-hurt tone, "I chose it with such care and I'm sure that you'll look great in it! But it's okay, you probably think that my fashion sense sucks, right?"

Not wanting to hurt her best friend, the petite girl quickly replied, "Oh, no! I trust Yaya-chan's fashion sense, so I'll put it on." She really didn't like the dress, but she didn't want to hurt her roommate's feelings, so she would at least try it on. Shedding her clothes, she put on the oversized gold ribbon and gathered her courage before opening the door.

Yaya looked at her secret crush standing in the doorway, looking noticeably uncomfortable, and barely stifled a giggle. Noting the growing smile on the slender brunette's features, Hikari fidgeted. She recognized that smile, it only showed up when the amber-eyed girl was going to tease her, which meant…

Unable to suppress the urge to laugh, Yaya called out, "Hehehe, Hikari-chan, you look like a little stick of butter with legs!" before laughing out loud and wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulders. She had known that Hikari wouldn't have liked the dress, and she herself didn't either, but she knew that her friend would look ridiculous in it, and she couldn't pass up such a perfect chance to tease her.

After laughing for a few more seconds, the tease noticed the strange looks the other shoppers were giving her, and slowly calmed down. Taking a deep breath, she looked at her date, currently blushing in embarrassment, and whispered, "Ah, but you have such pretty legs, Hikari-chan, and they don't look at all buttery."

Missing the entire subtext, the blonde child quietly replied, "Yaya-chan is so mean, she knows that I don't like butter…" Turning around, the blonde girl slipped back into the dressing room stall and changed back into her clothes.

Slightly surprised that Hikari had apparently missed her last comment, the brunette shrugged and apologized as soon as her crush reemerged from the door so they could continue shopping. She figured that it was a bit mean-spirited to tease her like that, so she let up on teasing her friend… for a while, at least.

* * *

The couple remained in that one store for another hour before leaving. Fortunately for Yaya, they didn't find anything worthwhile there, meaning that she got to see her best friend in many different styles of dresses, with even more to come! She already had the next store planned, another European designer boutique, where they would hopefully find a better selection.

Arriving at their next destination not long after, Hikari was once again impressed by the amount and variety of clothing in the shop, with colors and styles almost never seen in typical fashion stores. Leaving that aside, the prices were more moderate, and the quality was just as good, strangely. However, there were many more people in this shop, which meant less selection, unfortunately.

Deciding not to waste any time, the girls began slowly sifting through the aisles of dresses and skirts, making small talk about nothing in particular.

After a time, the duo decided to split up, hoping to cover more ground. However, unbeknownst to Hikari, this was where one of the finer details of Yaya's plan came to fruition. Having spent plenty of time yesterday looking up various stores and styles of dress online, she had found one dress in particular that she planned on buying. The price was rather hefty, but it was worth it if she wanted the Winter Ball to turn out perfectly. The only flaw in the plan was that she couldn't order it online through the school, and she had no guarantee that they would still have that dress in the store the next day, but she couldn't do anything about that. Just in case, she had looked up a few second-choices, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Quickly scanning through an aisle, and having no luck, the brunette checked for her best friend's location before pressing on.

That was another aspect of Yaya's plan: Hikari could not see her dress until the dance, as it would add a sense of mystery and anticipation for her entrance on the night of the dance.

Eventually reaching the last aisle, the tall Spican hoped that it would be the one to contain her special selection. She had no choice, it was imperative that she find this dress, as none of her backup choices seemed to be here. Quickly, yet efficiently, Yaya scanned through the final lane of clothes, desperate to find the sole reason that she cameto this store for.

Reaching the end of the lane, with absolutely no luck in finding the dress, Yaya was noticeably saddened, it seemed that the saying "nothing ever goes according to plan," was right indeed, not that she doubted it in the first place, anyway.

Besides, she was still going to the dance with Hikari, which was more than enough to brighten her spirits!

The girl set off to find her best friend within the store, hopefully to find some nice ball attire for the both of them.

Upon meeting her roommate, the two continued shopping in the store, quietly spending time with the other.

* * *

Having no luck in this store, the two decide to leave and go to a café for lunch.

Yaya was still worried about what she would wear to the dance; after all, her dress of choice was nowhere to be found. Maybe if she got lucky, she would find it at another store and just get it there!

Taking that train of thought to the door, she stopped dead in her tracks when the tall Chorus member saw exactly what she was looking for: which was out on a display case in the front of the store.

Marveling at her own stupidity for not noticing it upon entering, she quickly realized that she had to distract Hikaril; in order for her dress to be a surprise, she obviously couldn't let her date see it.

Thinking quickly, she turned to her roommate and said, "Hikari! I just remembered! We need to… find a café to eat at! You go down the road and look for a good one, I'll meet you back here in twenty minutes!" before guiding her towards the exit of the store.

Being pushed around wasn't really Hikari's idea of fun, so she replied while being dragged outside, "Ah! Yaya-chan, what are you doing? What's gotten into you?"

"I'll explain when we meet again, okay? Now go, there's something I need to do, and quickly!" Successfully getting Hikari out of the door, she flashed a mischievous smile toward her best friend and disappeared into the store, hurrying to find a clerk to bag her dress of choice.

Now alone, the small blonde sighed, "Yaya-chan is acting so weird… Maybe it's because of the Ball?" She looked at the store once again before walking off to find a café to eat at.

After walking for a few minutes, she realized, "Wait, didn't Yaya-chan already pick a café for us to eat at?" Thinking for a moment longer, she concluded, "She probably went to get something at the last minute and didn't want to bother me with it… I'm lucky that Yaya-chan is so nice." Smiling to herself due to her happy conclusion, she merrily strolled along.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Hikari stood outside the same fancy European dress shop, waiting for her best friend to come out. She hadn't found any cafés, considering that she didn't really know where to find one in the first place, so she settled with walking around the block for twenty minutes, enjoying the scenery of the city.

She didn't wait long, as her best friend emerged from the shop carrying a bag with the store's name upon it. Yaya looked quite pleased with herself.

"Ah, Hikari, did I take too long? I must've lost track of the time." The amber-eyed Spican motioned for her partner to follow.

"Oh, don't worry, Yaya-chan. Did you get something at the store?" The blonde girl strode up next to her friend and attempted to look into the bag, currently suspended between the two.

Before she had a chance to look inside, Yaya switched hands to put the bag on her other side. Shaking her finger in front of her friend's face, she said, "Nope, sorry Hikari, but I can't show you what I got, it's a surprise!"

Frowning slightly, the blue-eyed schoolgirl asked, "Why not, Yaya-chan? Is it your Ball dress?"

To that, the taller girl could only respond with, "Yep! But you can't see it until then, plus, we have more important things to think about, such as your own dress, right? It shouldn't be too hard to find one though, I'm sure anything would look good with my Hikari-chan."

"No, I'm too short, so it's sometimes hard to find a dress that fits me…" replied the slightly downcast Spican, unsure of the possibility of finding a good dress to wear due to her petite figure.

Almost comically, a grumble was heard from the stomach of a certain blonde girl, apparently hungry. Taking this as their cue, the duo shared a laughed and headed off to the café of their choice.

* * *

Leaving the café, the two girls agreed to go to a few more shops, determined to find the perfect dress for Hikari.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done, as a good number of the stores that they visited had poor selection, and anything remotely decent was not available in the petite girl's size. Their determination not wavering, the duo continued on to a few other stores, without much luck in any of them. They even visited a cosplay store, courtesy of Yaya, which was secretly an excuse to see Hikari in various rather risqué costumes (much to Hikari's chagrin.) Nonetheless, the pair continued on.

Yaya still would not let the blue-eyed Spican see inside of her bag, something that was slowly eating at the blonde. She liked surprises, but knowing the mischievous brunette, she might have picked a dress that looked totally ridiculous in an effort to tease poor Hikari. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought; she knew that Yaya wouldn't embarrass her like that in front of that many people at the Ball, plus it would be Yaya who would get embarrassed, as she would be wearing it.

Taking one last attempt to peek into the bag inconspicuously, she inwardly groaned at the colorful box within, so much for sneaking a peek. She looked toward her friend for a moment before sighing quietly and continuing on.

* * *

It was getting late, and the two still couldn't find a good dress for the petite blonde girl. They had tried all types of different stores and shops, from foreign to traditional, without much luck. Yaya wasn't expecting this to take so long, she had figured that it would've been easy to get a dress for Hikari; after all, she would look cute in anything she wore.

Opting for one last store, the duo entered another shop, not _quite _as fancy as some of the others they've been to.

For Yaya, this was her last chance to get something that would match her own dress, in some way or another. Taking a quick look around, she nodded to herself resolutely, she would have to find a good one for her date at _this _store.

For Hikari, this was nerve racking, they had spent all day looking for a good dress for her to wear to the dance, but without any luck at all! At this rate, she wouldn't find anything to wear, and she wouldn't be able to go, something she didn't want to happen, considering how happy Yaya was about everything. Sighing to herself, she just hoped that they would find something halfway decent before the day finished.

Yaya led the small blonde through the store, intently looking for anything that she could imagine Hikari wearing (which was not hard to imagine in Yaya's head.) She made the timid girl try on many types of clothes of various designs and colors, much to her own delight. Not to say that Hikari didn't enjoy it, but in a way, she felt like a dress-up doll for her friend, since the brunette claimed that there wasn't enough time for both of them to try on clothes.

Eventually, the tall Spican spotted a baby-blue satin dress hanging atop one of the far walls, and figured that it might be a good fit. She called over an employee who, after a brief discussion, brought over another one from a back room in the store, right size and everything. Eyeing it curiously, Yaya brought it to Hikari who went to try it on.

After a few minutes of waiting, the blonde girl stepped out of the dressing room and stood nervously in front of her friend, who stood there scrutinizing the dress and its bearer. After a moment, Yaya nodded and genuinely smiled, "I think this one is perfect for you, what do you think, Hikari?"

Looking herself in the mirror, the blue-eyed Spican took in every detail. The dress was a light baby-blue color, satin and sleeveless with small, cutesy white designs running diagonally down its length. Overall, it was humble, yet flattering at the same time, with the light blue and white color scheme capturing the essence of winter, beauty, and modesty at the same time. Needless to say, it matched the girl perfectly, and Hikari had no choice but to agree that her friend looked _good_.

Nodding her head, the blonde turned to her roommate and agreed, but being considerate, she asked, "How much is it?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Hikari, I'll take care of you!" The price wasn't part of Yaya's plan, in fact, it was way over what she wanted, but there was basically a zero percent chance of finding a better one, if the time had anything to say about it. However, Yaya was digging herself quite a hole here, her parents were going to kill her for going over her monthly allowance _this_ much, but it was all worth it if it made Hikari happy, and if she was happy, then Yaya would be too.

* * *

Opening the door to their shared dorm, the two girls placed their bags on their respective beds, exhausted from a whole day's shopping. Yaya let her roommate take a shower first, as she needed to find a suitable spot to keep her dress hidden away until the day of the dance. Making sure everything was in order inside the box, she tucked it away in the back of the top drawer of her dresser, her underwear drawer. Making sure it was mostly out of sight under all of the cloth, she closed the drawer. She figured that Hikari would never look through her underwear, so it was a pretty safe bet (but she wouldn't mind if she found out that Hikari actually did do so.)

Shaking that lewd thought from her head, the amber-eyed Spican set about preparing for her shower, then for bed, she was exhausted from all the walking. Still waiting for her roommate to finish her shower, she went over her plan once more in her head, mentally checking each one that was successful. Smiling to herself at her own resourcefulness in coming up with this scheme, she said in a low voice and with a devious smile, "_Just as planned._"

* * *

**A/N: **I had to rewrite this chapter so many times it almost wasn't worth it. No matter what I did, I couldn't get it all to flow right, and I had a few ideas that I had to scrap due to it. Eventually, I just settled on this, even though it's far from perfect. Sigh, Yaya is right, nothing ever goes according to plan, indeed.

Ah, also, I have absolutely no idea how girls shop together in Japan or otherwise, and I also have little-to-no idea on fashion, either. So please don't yell at me for getting any of this stuff wrong, thanks. Anyway, I have pictures of different dresses that I took inspiration from on my computer, so if you really want to know what they look like, just let me know.

Thanks for reading, and feedback is appreciated.


End file.
